[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE COMMITMENT OF THE ALI FAMILY TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH 
                    THEIR BUSINESS, BEN'S CHILI BOWL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 20, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the 
Ali Family for 50 years of contributing to the economic vitality and 
culture of Washington, DC's historic U Street corridor, the ``Black 
Broadway.''
  In each decade in which the Chili Bowl has been in operation, Ben and 
Virginia have faced challenges that for others contributed to the 
closing of their business. The violent unrest following the 
assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, disinvestment in 
Washington commercial districts throughout the 1970s and 80s, the 
complete upturning of the 1200 block of U Street to make way for 
Metro's green line extension during the late 1990s. Many entrepreneurs 
have come and gone, but the Ali's and that familiar long white counter 
with red-vinyl stools have remained stalwart and true.
  As we enter into a moment in time when the possibility for change is 
right at our finger tips, it is comforting to know that for which we 
hope to attain is possible, and can be seen in our not too distant 
past. Ben and Virginia opened a business to be part of a community, to 
contribute. Through hard work and commitment, they have been able to 
raise a family, guide young employees in the lessons of good business, 
and make and keep appreciative patrons. The neighborhood has changed 
around them, but their devotion to creating a place where everyone 
feels welcome, where what is expected is what is served, and where you 
can listen to the rhythms of what makes U Street so special. They 
created a place of character. It is in these things that for 50 years 
we have seen the best part of ourselves when looking through the plate 
glass window of Ben's Chili Bowl. It is with the next generation of Ali 
capable hands that the business moves forward.

                          ____________________